Astrum
by PantherLydi
Summary: Jellal is a fool; a self-conceited, arrogant fool, whose slip of utter carelessness lands him in his current predisposition. As he studies the Celestial Mage standing before him, eyes lit with observant suspicion and barely-suppressed doubt, Jellal realizes that he has hit a major snag in his grand ploy. Jellu! AU! MagicCouncilMember!Lucy
1. Mars I

**Pairing**:_ Jellal(Siegrain)/Lucy, with minor mentions of Jellal/Erza; and other ships to come_

**Rating**: **T **_for cursing, violence and slight suggestive theme, might turn into _**M** _for sexual content in the future_

**Warning**:_ Might derive from canon! Since most of the events won't happen the way they were supposed to originally, some details might appear in different places. (Concerning Lucy's keys that she won't be able to obtain in canon because she doesn't join Fairy Tail.)_

**Disclaimer**:_ I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form. All rights go to Hiro Mashima._

**A/N**: _This pairing needs so much love, like, pronto! There isn't a single piece of fanart I have witnessed with this pairing and it makes me so sad. Behold the power of Jerza and Nalu overshadowing the wonders of crack shipping. So, that is why I decided to write a __fanfiction__ with these two cuties. Takes place a few months or so before Episode/Chapter 1 of Fairy Tail._

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**_/As•trum/_**

**Noun – Latin**

_a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun._

**Mars**

_Energy; Vigor; Initiative_

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**_T_**he warm, foggy air cakes her face like a mask.

She sits upon a cushion placed in the middle of the spacious room, with all the grace a lady like her carries. Watching the maids prepare her bath with keen eyes, she makes light talk as the steaming water continues to flow into the massive tub, filled with plump and luscious bubbles.

It is one of the few joys she could spend for herself in these lonely halls.

Glancing around the fancy décor of her own private baths, she wonders how her life would be if she didn't have all these luxuries.

As days went on, alien thoughts kept clouding her mind more often than she cares to admit.

Selfish thoughts; the kind that might ruin all that her father has ever worked on.

She shakes her head lightly, trying to get rid of the traitorous, yet inviting scenarios that occupies her mind more often than not. She fumbles with her keys that she hides in one of the long sleeves of her expensive gown. The slight shimmering of the different metal keys never fail to give her a good sense of comfort when she was anxious about nothing and everything.

A light knock on the heavy oak door indicates yet another worker in the huge Heartfilia Manor coming into her private chambers.

A short, elderly woman, one with purple strands tied behind her head, rushes into the room. Lucy gives her a smile, a smile which quickly turns into a frown when Spetto doesn't spare her a single glance. She whispers hurriedly to another maid, voice hushed and muffled by the heated waters. Her eyes widen at the elder maid's words and, with a horrified and morbid curl to her lip, the two of them rushed out from the room.

"Stay right where you are, Lucy-sama!"

Lucy bites her lower lip, feeling the scrap of her teeth on her skin, wondering as to what had happened for her personal maids to be acting so secretive around her.

They usually never keep anything from her, unless it was an emergency.

The blonde stands up from her place on the cushion, grabbing the hem of her beautifully detailed gown that she longs to take off for the day. She lifts the skirts from the ground and, with knitted golden eyebrows, slowly walks towards the large doors leading to her room, only to swallow down a yelp as somebody – quite rudely – barges into the bathroom.

She heaves a sigh of relief when she realizes that it is the residential librarian, who, most certainly, was _not_ supposed to be here in the first place.

Narrowing her chocolate eyes, Lucy crouches down to level herself with the seemingly distressed man. He looks to be in a state of panic that unnerves her greatly. She places a soft and gentle hand on his tiny shoulder and fives him a warm smile laced with reassurance.

''Ribbon-san, what's wro—"

''Lucy-sama, we _must_ hurry!''

Without another word muttered from the servant, he grasps her larger hand in his, leading – almost dragging – her from her room and into the hall. Once her heeled feet meet the rich carpet of her corridor, Lucy's eyes widen drastically once her gaze lands on the smoke-filled front yard. Rooting her heels into the ground, she observes the view, and the drastic change of scenery makes her pulse echo and echo and echo in her skull.

The little librarian's voice doesn't reach her after that, not quite.

''Lucy-sama!'' A voice calls from the other side of the hall as an elderly, short man emerges from around the corner.

''Bero-san, what in the world is happening?'' The blonde asks her Magic teacher with a quivering voice. The old man rushes to her side, ushering her to move forward with the other servant in tow.

''She is coming for you! You must go to your father, _hurry_! I'll hold her off as best as I can.''

''Bero-san...''

''_Please._'' Lucy looks tearfully at the man. Never being one to question the authority of her mentors, she allows the small, blue-haired librarian to lead her to her father's office. Lucy, feeling anxious and panicked and downright _suffocated_, takes hold of her metal key ring for safety measures.

Nibbling her lower lip yet again in habit, she wonders just who would dare to infiltrate one of the wealthiest families in all Fiore without the fear of consequences.

Sure, the Heartfilia Konzern isn't all that well-protected; only a handful of people knew how to defend themselves from a weak-leveled mage at best.

Or maybe it's yet another one of those '_kidnap the heiress for money_' scenario she has been warned about since birth.

It wouldn't be the first and certainly not the last time it was attempted, she is sure of that.

But something makes Lucy pause for a second.

It is a _woman_ who is after her.

Clanking marble, and the stomp of tiny feet are the last things heard before the huge wooden doors bolts shut.

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**_H_**is fingers go taut around one another with each and every step his daughter paces. The blonde celestial mage walks around his luxurious office, jumping at every muffled sound made outside the safety of his study. He knows that there is nothing left to do but to wait for the Rune Knights to arrive.

Jude Heartfilia turns in his chair, staring at his fortune that continues to turn to ash with every bush that burnt off.

He wants the culprit punished.

This is obviously the work of a mage, which unnerves and nags at him to no end. He knows—_knows_—he should have hired more mages for his households' safety but now isn't the time to drown in past regrets when there are more of them to come.

His beautiful, young daughter, who looks so much like his beloved Layla, is targeted.

He doesn't like that.

He doesn't like that _one bit._

For whatever reason this is happening – be it his money or his lands, hell, even his _rails_ – he'll have the culprit punished, even if it's the last thing he does.

The noises outside are meek at first, but with each passing second, they grow louder and closer to the polished door of his office that separated them from the rest of the manor. He can faintly make out his daughter's sigh as she slumps against the wall. Jude wants to yell at her for acting so unladylike but deep down he knows that this is certainly not the time to complain about such trivial things.

Suddenly, all three heads shoot up as a shrill scream erupts from down the hall. Lucy's eyes steel over when she recognizes the voice belonging to her maid Spetto. Without a second thought, she whips out her keys and heads for the door, only to receive a crude yell from her father.

''Lucy Heartfilia, do not _dare_ to take another step, you hear me!?''

But the harsh demand is met by a gust of wind as the blonde heiress slips out of the heavy door. The hall rings with the sound of fabric tearing and two light bangs as heeled shoes hit the marble ground. Lucy rushes down the hall where the screams had died down long ago. Turning a corner, she gasps at the sight of two frail legs resting behind a bush. She kneels down next to her purple-haired maid, who seemed to have lost consciousness. A deep gash runs through her hand and the blonde knows her top priority is to stop the bleeding.

Tearing the rest of her remaining skirt off, the once gorgeous gown is reduced to scraps of expensive fabric. A light, cream under-dress is the only thing left to fend her body from the world, but Lucy is just glad to gain some kind of movement. Taking Spetto's upper hand gently, Lucy wraps the velvet material around the wound firmly. Heaving a sigh, the young heiress decides that this is the best she can do for now without calling out one of her spirits to aid her.

Suddenly, the old maid's eyes shoot open. The typically warm, dark hues are reduced to white, while the whites of her eyes are black. Lucy crawls back as an almost sinister smile that she had never witnessed before settles across Spetto's face.

A puff of smoke surrounds her body, and Lucy's gaze turn round as a reflection of her appears right before her eyes.

Same torn up clothes, same facial structure, same golden hair pulled up into a bun.

But the expression is off.

_Very_ off.

''Oh, so you have 4 golden keys, huh?'' Her clone speaks with a dark drawl, voice unrecognizable and familiar to her ears simultaneously. Lucy shoots to her feet in defense, settling herself into a combat position that Bero has drilled into her brain.

Bero.

She wonders where he is now.

The blonde bears her teeth as her clone stands up with all the grace she possesses as well.

Whatever that thing is, she has to stop it.

''This must be my lucky day then, blondie,'' The doppelgänger tone is pleased and frightening.

The real Lucy quickly pulls out a key from the key ring attached to her hipbone, jaw clenched and nostrils flared.

Is was not going to let anyone take away her spirits away—even if her life is at dire risk.

''Gate of the Bull, I open thee! _Taurus_!'' A shining, gold magic circle appears in the space between them, and a moment later a loud roar rips through the silence. A bull-like man comes into sight, wielding a battle ax, tall and menacing. Butt the lookalike shows not an ounce of fear; actually, Lucy is unnerved by the smug curvature of her lips.

''Moo! Lucy-san's nice body duplicated!'' Lucy gulps, the saliva gathered in her mouth forcing down her esophagus at her spirit's perverseness.

Now is really _not_ the time for this.

''Taurus, attack that lookalike!'' The blonde points at what seems like her own reflection. The lookalike, unfazed, just stands there with a peculiar expression on her face; the glint in her eyes tells Lucy she knows something that she does not.

''_Oh_, Taurus.'' The tone of the clone sickens the blonde, making a disgusted shiver run through her spine. ''Why don't you attack the other Lucy and I'll give you a treat.'' To make a point, the lookalike grabs the hem of her corset, and Lucy is struck with realization and apprehension.

This is _not_ good.

The bull-like man freezes before turning on the blonde, making the celestial mage's eyes widen in fright.

Would he really strike her?

His hands starts to shake as he lifts the ax up in the air.

''F-Forgive me, L-Lucy-san. I can't c-control my b-body,'' he stammers out as the real Celestial mage closes her eyes, waiting for the unavoidable impact. Taurus tries to lower down his weapon, but the attempt just seems to make it worse as the razor falls onto Lucy's head. Thankfully, the bull spirit manages to rotate the the ax horizontally just in time for it to collide with the blonde's head.

Lucy grabs at her forehead in white pain.

The damage her head receives from the blunt side of the weapon nearly shuts her brain off. She can feel red hot liquid running down between her face and fingers, the interior of her halls becoming hazier by the second. Standing up with a bit of stumble, the Celestial mage scatters away from the pair as far as possible. Retrieving the golden key from her side, she closes the gate to the bull man, uttering a light ''_it's alright'_ to her beloved spirit.

The hammering pulse in her ears is hypnotic; it makes Lucy hallucinate that the laughter coming from the clone duplicates.

But no.

She hears footsteps, loud and refined, and an imposing hand comes into her vision.

''I'll be taking these—''

''_No_!'' Lucy gathers her strength and slaps the other woman's hand away. Her doppelgänger is gone by the time she manages to stumble into a nearby room in a meager attempt to get away from the white-haired invader, who seems to be the one who has caused chaos to erupt inside her small little world.

''Look at you,'' the infiltrator drawls. ''So weak and pathetic—you don't deserve your spirits.'' The last bit comes out as a growl that leaves Lucy shivering in cold fear.

Not fear for herself but, rather, for her spirits.

If this hag were to take them away from her...

Lucy refocuses her vision to locate just exactly where she is at and, conveniently for her, it is her own bedroom.

But Lucy is almost drowned out; she's not able to notice the incoming kick directed straight at her. The heiress groans out in pain as the other's foot collides with her abdomen, making the blonde's knees connect with the hard, wooden floor once more. Looking down, she notices her once cream-colored under-dress splashed with maroon, and the light wood she lays upon adapts the same coloring.

''Now, give me the keys or I'll have to take them by force." Angel hovers above her with a victorious glint in her eyes, but Lucy is not finished.

''You can take my life but not my spirits!'' She spits at the older woman who seems to be more than compliant to bring life to her statement. She crouches to her level, placing her gloved hand on the blonde's shoulder, making the latter flinch away,

''Oh, don't worry,'' she coo'ed to Lucy, ''I'm planning on it.''

Suddenly, a hand snakes into her golden locks, accompanied by a very rough tug. Lucy lets out a shriek as Angel pulls her up to her feet by her hair. Her already pained head throbs even more; her mind clears of any and all strategies she has planned. She feels another tug at her strands, making her hands shoot up on their own accord to wrap around the base of her roots to lessen the pain, even if it has little to no effect at that point.

They are going somewhere, Lucy could tell, but the only thing her mind is able to register is the pain exploding in her scalp. However, the steamy, thick air is a more than fair indicator of where she is, and that knowledge tugs a smile smile on her bloody face.

_Perfect_.

''Let's see how well you can swim, girlie." Angel places Lucy above her bathtub; the warmth radiating from the water and the sweet, sweet scent makes her mind relax and throb and slack. The thick droplets of blood plop into the now clear surface, coloring the body of water a brilliant red. Lucy knows what is about to happen, so, with her lungs now full of air to last her a trip underwater, she prepares to be dunked into that sweet, warm water.

And as her wounded flesh breaks the surface, Lucy knows—_knows!_—she has won.

As subtly as she is able in her current predicament, Lucy withdraws the water bearer's key, already knowing full well that the white-haired woman isn't aware of which keys she has in her possession, otherwise, she wouldn't have made such a foolishly blatant mistake such as this.

She makes a sluggish unlocking motion with her key underwater, praying that just this one, _one_, time, the stubborn spirit would cooperate with her without a fight.

Angel's eyes widen in alert as a familiar golden glow shines from the depths of the tub she hovers above. Her brows knit together in shock and anger at her own foolishness, for she could have asked Gemini of which keys the blonde possessed beforehand.

A huge, blue tail springs out from the surface, hitting the woman's shoulder with a start. Angel gasps in pain on impact, releasing the blonde's hair in the process.

''I told you a million times not to bring me out whe—'' The blue-haired spirit cuts herself off when she sees the state her master is in. The usual gown she wears is no more, replaced by a bloody under-dress. Her hair is a mangled mess and her single opened eye is drenched in her own blood, just like the rest of her face. The mermaid feels rage consume her at the sight of the damage done to Lucy as she turns her attention to the seething Celestial mage.

Upon seeing Aquarius, Angel whips out a key that she knows could stop the mermaid without much of a fight.

''Sorry, blondie, but you should have studied up on your spirits' relationships better.'' A golden glow shoots from the tip of the key, and another spirit appears in the spacious bathroom. Lucy's eyes widen when she recognizes the newcomer to be Scorpio, Aquarius' boyfriend that she's been gushing about for so many years.

''We are, yeah! Aquarius, _baby_, what's cooking?'' He greets his beloved, and the blonde's stellar spirit freezes, feeling torn. However, the sight of Lucy's frail form barely able to lean against the marble tub for support, she knows if she is to leave now, she can kiss their contract goodbye, forever.

The mixed-haired spirit gives Aquarius a wink; a wink that sets her mind at ease because, even if she does tend to deny it, she knows that Scorpio understands just how precious the blonde mage is to her.

So, with a raise of her urn up in the air, she locks eyes with the shocked white-haired woman.

''You think so low of us that you thought a cheap trick like that would work?! _You scum_, take this!'' She screams out, summoning her magic in the vase-like weapon. Not a moment later, a giant wave emerges from the urn, washing away her lover and her enemy alike, and for the first time in her life, the blonde was left dry.

Just this once.

A scream rips out from Angel's throat as the huge body of water collides with her body with a loud slap. She drops her keys into the small tsunami-like current, and a small tentacle of clear, bluish water grabs hold of the key ring belonging to the Oracion Seis' member.

It takes only a handful of seconds for the whole mansion floor to overflow with water, which isn't such a rare occurrence, in all honesty. As the huge wave rips through her bathroom's door, washing the two opponents into the next room, the bluenette helps the wonder-filled, dizzy blonde up to her feet, examining her face. The spirit can clearly see the gaping gash on her forehead, wet and sticky from the mixed up liquids sputtering from the wound.

Aquarius can't help but wonder how the girl is still conscious to begin with.

''Aquarius-san," Lucy mutters weakly as her strongest spirit washes her face just a bit. Without a word, Aquarius turns around to face her master's room. The room looks disastrous; every nook and cranny is splashed and drenched in water. She spots the dark Mage leaning against Lucy's bedpost, panting as she does so.

She is surprised and, admittedly, _impressed_ that the woman can still sit up after experiencing the full force of her wave. Grabbing Lucy's hand to support her, she leads her steadily to her room, where the other pair of master and spirit resided in. Seeing as how Aquarius looks at her boyfriend with pure regret, the blonde gently tugs at the floating mermaid's hand and points at the enraged, yet tired white-haired woman.

Scorpio, who is drenched from head to toe, shakes his head to remove the droplets of water from his hair, winking again at his blue-haired girlfriend with a grin.

''Aquasweetie, I'm gonna see ya later, 'kay?'' Without waiting for a reply, the spirit of the scorpion disappears in a golden glow.

''I'll make up to you!'' The bluenette's sugar-coated answer resounds throughout the room before Angel's raged-filled curses drown Aquarius out.

''Scorpio! How dare you leave me! I'm going to _kill_ you, you hear me!'' She yells at the empty space besides her where the man previously laid next to her. Lucy, hearing the words leave the infiltrators mouth, pulls away from the water bearer as if her hand has been burnt. Rubbing around her injured head with her fingers gently, she prays silently that the dark Mage will still be alive after this.

She can't save her now.

''_Did you just threaten my boyfriend_?'' Lucy could swear she has never heard a darker tone from the mermaid. A whip appears in Aquarius' hand as she draws nearer to the now seemingly afraid Mage.

Without her keys, she is truly done for.

''Prepare to pay.''

The shrill scream that escapes from the white-haired Mage-s mouth might have been heard by the Rune Knights that are marching into the Heartfilia Konzern.

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**_W_**hen Jude Heartfilia steps to his daughter's room, he expected to see the worst.

To his utter surprise, the pastel pink room is a bit darker, seemingly drenched with water—even the dolls that stood on the highest shelves. The next thing he notices is the giant, floating aquarium-like bubble that is surrounded by dozens of Rune Knights.

The military arrived at the last minute, much to the man's discontent.

Gazing inside, he could see a white-haired woman floating around the water cage, unconscious. Her whole body, from head to toe, is covered with whip marks and gashes. He feels a cold dread fill his being when he couldn't spot Lucy anywhere in the room.

A sigh of relief leaves through his mouth as Lucy exits from the attached bathroom with two Rune Knights on either sides, dressed in their traditional military uniforms. Jude sees the bandage wrapped around her head and feels enraged when he notices that her dress – or what is left of it – is drenched in maroon liquid.

It better not be her blood, for everyone's sake.

A pink-haired maid is at his daughter's heel with a medical supply kit in hand. Jude recognizes her to be the Celestial Spirit he had bought off Duke Everlue a couple months back for his daughter.

''Lucy,'' he breathes out as he cradles the girl in his outstretched arms. Said girl looks at the empty space in front of her, surprised at her father's affection. With much hesitance, she returns the brief hug. Closing his eyes, the tall blond-haired man rests his chin on her head, smelling the metallic scent of blood, which makes him tighten his grip more.

''I demand to know who did this.'' He looks at the two men who escorted his daughter in question. The slightly taller of the two speaks up, his posture fit for a man of his status.

''You've already seen the culprit," he stated matter-of-factly, pointing his chin in the direction of the makeshift prison cell. Jude realizes that he must have meant the woman in the water bubble. Looking at the white-haired girl once more, resentment fills his eyes as he speaks, anger lacing his tone, to the two military men.

''I'd like to attend her trial, see that she gets a proper punishment for her crimes." It doesn't even come out as a request; it is more of a statement than anything else. The two men whisper to each other before nodding.

Jude Heartfilia has enough influence to get the both of them fired, so they have to comply without much more thought.

Lucy stands there, enveloped in her father's arms after such a long time.

It almost feels alien to her now.

Gripping the slightly heavier key ring in her long slender fingers, she smiles contently.

She has to make five more contracts before she can go to Era – the current location of the Magic Council.

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	2. Uranus II

**A/N**:_ I finally got around my writer's block on this story and finished this chapter. I kept rewriting it a few times because I sort of didn't like the way I wrote down the interactions, so I hope you all aren't too mad for the very, very late update._

**PixieBix800**: _Thank you for liking this story! I have planned a few major events for this story in the future. What inspired me to write this? I really wanted to write a Jellu with a plot that hasn't been used before, so I thought why not when Jellal was still posing as Siegrain? It all started from there. For all of your other questions, you'll just have to wait and see~._

**Queen-Disturbed-Haruka**:_ Exactly! It's so sad that people who write extravagant fanfics of crackships get flamed and turned off from writing—just because some people hate the ship because it's not going to be canon and don't realize it's all for fun. A true shame.. :/ Thank you so much!_

_For the rest of you who took your time reviewing/favoriting/following, hell, even reading this story – thank you very much!_

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**_/As•trum/_**

**Noun – Latin**

_a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun._

**Uranus**

_Change; Invention; Revolution_

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_**T**_ree. Tree. Tree.

Oh, what a surprise—_another tree_.

The thick, green scenery finally changes before her half-lidded, chocolate eyes. Spiky, tall mountains pierce the fluffy, bronze clouds as the carriage continues to shake from the rocks scattered on the abandoned road. The blonde peers her head out of the open window to drink up the view of several Rune Knights trailing behind them. A floating cage follows them through the gravel path. The corners of Lucy's mouth turn downwards as the magic-infused, metal bars shake when a ruined, white-heeled boot kicks out in every possible direction. Not a second later, a scalding wave of electricity runs though the captive's leg, just as Jude Heartfilia closes the lavish, velvet curtain, shielding the outside view before her eyes.

Yet the material does not block out the pained yells.

Lucy Heartfilia grips the material of her gown, wiping off the gathered sweat from her palms. She can count on the five fingers of her hand the amount of times she and her father had travelled this far alone together; last time being to a dinner party hosted by Jude's closest business partners. She gives out an unnoticeable shudder as memories of an undeniably corrupt politician residing in Shirotsume Town flashes through her mind. He was a short little fellow—but he certainly could cast a mighty long shadow if he wanted to.

That was years ago though.

Another memory she could barely remember is her short visit to Magnolia when her family had come to visit Everlue.

One thing that stuck to her then was the proud, fairly bright symbol of a fairy's tail fluttering in the night's air. She can still remember her younger self, questioning her parents about their adventures when they were a part of a guild, all the while running out of oxygen in her little lungs from the endless string of questions she asked that night.

Lucy sighs lightly, figuring she should stash away her hopeless dreams of guilds and fairies to the back of her heart. There was no chance for her to become a ''_full-fledged wizard that belongs to one of the most famous guilds in Fiore_'' as Sorcerer Weekly so bluntly put it.

No guild. No qualified wizard status for her.

Oblivious to his heiress's discomfort and inner turmoil, the blond man shifts slightly so he could gaze at the back of the carriage driver's head. As Jude asks the young man how far they still have to go, Lucy rubs and traces the glimmering keys hidden in the long sleeves of her dress.

_It's growing heavier_, Lucy notes in delight as she lets the key ring hang loosely from her pinched fingertips.

Before they left the Heartfilia residence, the blonde still had some time to meet her new friends as the military, stationed around her attacker, placed her under close watch so that the white-haired woman wouldn't be a problem for any further dealing. Even with the shackles around her limbs, Angel still managed to make shivers run down Lucy's spine as tales of horror rang through the lobby where she made the sacred contracts with her new spirits.

The first pair she summoned, in particular, had her slightly worried.

An orange-haired man and a woman in a dress made out of soft-looking wool.

They spoke of great mistreatment from their former masters. After the first one's unfortunate demise, they managed to fall to an equally rough woman. The man – Leo the lion – was a bit reserved at first, standing between the blonde and the pink-haired woman, scurrying Lucy for any signs of cruelty. When all he found was a warm smile and friendly eyes on their new soon-to-be-owner's face, the Leader of the Zodiacs graced the blonde with an approving smile as he picked out the days he was free to be summoned.

The others quickly followed suit after that.

Her long fingers graze lovingly over the patterns of her now 13 Celestial gate keys, stifling a light giggle when some of them rattle in excitement when a small portion of Lucy's magic unintentionally seeped into the gold and silver metals. The carriage gives a slight jerk, indicating the change of flooring. Lucy smiles in relief when she realizes she wouldn't have to rock around in the small, lavish box for much longer.

The wheels of the carriage roll smoothly across the cobblestone road of Era, the town that hosts the Magic Council in the heart of the city.

The blonde pushes back the curtain of her little window to glance around. She could see the town's people clearing a path for them out of respect for their military force that trails slowly behind their carriage. A wondrous smile stretches across her face when they made a sharp turn, giving her a generous eyeful of what Era has to offer. Little shops and bakeries surround the gorgeous town's square, yet she notices that the rather wide path they were on is quite deserted of any other buildings than the residential ones.

_This is the path that the soldiers probably use to take the highly dangerous criminals to their highest authority_, she muses.

Her brown eyes trail up and she lets out a frustrated sigh – much to her father's concealed amusement – when she notices that the Council headquarters is located on a mountain-like hill.

Joy.

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_**H**_er father once said that showing weakness could get her, metaphorically, in the political world, _killed_.

That's what she keeps in mind at that moment when rage-filled purple eyes meet with her own.

Lucy fidgets in her seat, trying to keep a straight face as the beaten up woman turns her body around to fully face her. She leans her back against the wooden witness stand, not at all concerned if the several gathered council members found her actions offensive. Chocolate brown eyes watch from across the room as the white-haired Mage places her thumb on her jugular with slight difficulty, due to the chains that connect her wrist together, and swipes it straight across the length of her bruised neck.

Lucy gets the message loud and clear.

_'You're dead.'_

The blond man sitting next to his daughter scoffs at the young girl who dared to wreck his establishment. His eyes dart to the Celestial mage a few times as he straightens out his crisp suit.

He'll make sure she gets a proper punishment for all the damage she'd caused. Just thinking about all the jewels he'll have to spend on recreating some parts of his property makes his blood boil.

Thank God for insurance.

Black eyes count the number of unoccupied seats yet to be filled by the Council members. He feels a swell of honor that the magical authorities decided to come in the flesh instead of using holograms.

Of course, that is to be expected, considering all of their physical bodies reside within the walls of Era.

Just three are missing by the time the Rune Knights order for the captured Mage to turn to her authorities, which she doesn't, much to the irk of the military officers.

Lucy's squirming does not stop until she notices the slight change in her attacker's demeanor as the last of the Council members enter the room.

First one to step onto the lavish carpet is a small, elderly man. He seems quite cheerful; chatting rather enthusiastically away with a notably taller male who has a mop of bright, blue hair, half-covering his tattooed face.

Lucy silently, if not slightly ashamed, recognizes him as Siegrain Fernandes—one of the most eligible bachelors mentioned in one of her magazines.

Trailing right behind her two companions is a woman with dark, purple hair, straight bangs that framed her made-up face perfectly.

Angel's rounded eyes do not fasten on the tiny man, or the blue-haired male, who stares at her nevertheless. No, her gaze is locked onto the female that mirrored her exact expression. Shock is etched upon both of their faces, but the Council member reacts faster; she schools her facial features into a polite, neutral smile—fit for her role. Siegrain, too, leveled the powerless Stellar Mage with a calculating gaze before turning away from the woman altogether.

The blonde Celestial Mage does not miss the tiny interaction between the three Mages; her brown eyes shift from the restrained woman to the council members a few times, finding their reactions quite peculiar and odd.

The trio walk past her and the head of the Heartfilia Konzern without so much as a glance at their direction. The court falls into silence as the rest of the Council sits down on the first level of the podium in front of Angel, all in their respective armchairs.

Lucy tries to look around the interior of the court; anything to get her mind off of the fact that she'll have to talk in front of so many high-ranked people. Her chocolate eyes travel along the highly elaborated bas-reliefs adorning the square pillars on the frontal part of the first level podium, but the booming voice from the man on the second level breaks her musings.

''We will now start the mage trial,'' the chairman's voice bellows from the shadows.

If the court wasn't deadly silent before, it surely is now.

Lucy is afraid to even swallow the gathered saliva in her mouth, worrying that the sound would echo through the room.

''Defendant Sorano '_Angel_' Agria–'' the frog-resembling humanoid read out in disdain, ''of Oracion Seis, please take the witness stand.''

This time, she turns to face the Magic Council without the guards telling her to do so. By the tension of her shoulders, the Stellar Mage could tell that she feels quite rigid.

''Concerning the assault of…'' The woman —_or was it a man?_—drowns on, reading the ink-printed words off of the piece of parchment. Lucy gulps then, as the accusations of various murders spitted out of the humanoid's mouth.

She heard of one already, though.

Karen Lilica—the previous owner of the newly-made friends of hers. According to the Lion spirit: Gemini, posing as one of Karen's guildmates, slipped poison into the lime-haired woman's drink when she wasn't looking.

Even her father becomes slightly uncomfortable as the list of committed crimes just doesn't seem to find an end. Lucy scans the different expressions on the Council members. Some of them look gleeful, wearing proud smirks at the prospect of capturing one of the members of the Balam Alliance.

(_Oh, Lucy could only imagine how much information they'll try to pry out of her._)

While the others – the more elderly mages – seem solemn.

The conversations soon began to blur as the realization that she will have to give her own testimony gnaws at her resolve, making anxious butterflies flutter in the pit of her stomach. Under the invisible pressure, she finds her father's hand, tangling their fingers together. Jude glances at his daughter from the corner of his eyes as his own hand dampens from the wetness of her palm.

The longer he listens to the crimes of the Oracion Seis member being listed off, the more he couldn't believe Lucy's stroke of luck.

They didn't name her '_Lucky_' Lucy for nothing, he supposes.

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**_B_**londe bangs hide her peering eyes as she looks up at her father's standing form from under her eyelashes. Lucy feels like the trial has been going on for long enough; even though not much time has passed since the start of it. It was already determined that her attacker would go straight to jail when her ruined boot had stepped into the court room, yet the Council seemed to drag this issue as long as they could.

Nervousness turned to irk quickly enough.

Just when she thought that this whole dilemma would soon be over, her father rose to his feet.

Every head turns to the owner of the Heartfilia Konzern, and with every pair of eyes straying to her, too, causes her to shrink back into the wooden bench she is seated on. As if the gazes have some kind of real pressure, her chocolate eyes close in a silent prayer.

_Please, don't bring it u—_

''I would like to request better security for my household," Jude says, tone forceful and self-entitled. At the same time, his heiress places her palm on her injured forehead.

_Of course you had to bring it up_, Lucy rues.

The court starts to flood in whispers as barely concealed incredulous stares from the Council meet the man's request. Angel, along with a select few from the podiums, scoff but restrain any comments.

''And why is that?'' An older man with a balding scalp, yet long hair inquires. Org, if Lucy recalls correctly, is his name. His words are met with a few sharp glares, her father's included.

''Because the men that you stationed in my residence couldn't even make it in time when they are called upon." He points his index finger at the crown of her head, making Lucy look up at him. ''My only heir could've died.''

The members of the Council look at one another warily from the row of seats they share, contemplating the man's words.

''And how did Sorano fall into custody if they didn't make it in time?'' Ultear, who hasn't spoken a single word during the length of the trial, challenges. She is much too inverted on the matter of one of the Oracion Seis members getting captured than some wealthy business man requiring manpower for his small imaginary kingdom.

Although, she knows that it isn't wise to set the walking wallet off. The Magic Council can get some profit from the units they could station around his house, after all.

Siegrain glances at the purple-haired woman, clearly seeing the gears in her head moving at an alarming rate. He puts his elbow o the table in front of him, placing half of his face in his palm, hiding the smirk that threatened to break out across his tattooed face.

This is all becoming amusing now.

He remembers how panicked Ultear had looked the moment the words had spluttered from the messenger's mouth. He was surprised at first – one of the Balam Alliance core members got captured, after all – then it all turned to amusement when the woman next to him threw a vase to the floor the moment they were out of praying eyes and ears.

_'She'll ruin everything'. 'She'll blow our cover'._

The Arc of Time's Mage chanted the same sentences over and over again like a mantra.

Siegrain – or, more accurately speaking – _Jellal_, wasn't all that worried in comparison.

Even if the white-haired Mage opens her big mouth, even if she accuses them of the things they _have_ actually done, who would believe a scum like her?

Of course, some of those old snots could start questioning the two of them and where their loyalties resided, but they have a clean enough slate up until now to let it slide or make up a quick intangible lie on the spot.

Like they usually do.

He glances down at the woman standing in front of the witness stand, her purple eyes never wavering from him or Ultear.

Siegrain narrows his dark eyes at this.

What does she expect them to do? Vote against her imprisonment?

If that is the case, then they should hand themselves in at this very moment. The blue-haired Mage couldn't understand the captured woman's logic whatsoever. Weren't Celestial mages supposed to be smarter than this? No wonder why they are nearly extinct. She looks back at him expectedly, but all he does in response is flicker his eyes to the old geezers sitting beside him in the row, signalling for her to drop her gaze or at least divert it to somewhere else.

Sorano grits her teeth together in barely concealed rage, not wanting to believe that this is the end of the line for her.

She doesn't want to admit—

''My daughter managed to vanquish her even before your troops arrived,'' The voice of Jude Heartfillia rings across the court, making another wave of barely hushed whispers wash over the court room.

—that that dumb, little blonde had managed to defeat her at her own game.

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_**S**_he can hear them—the comments flying around in quiet tones around the court.

Biting her bottom lip, she silently curses her father's need to always be in the centre of attention. She feels uncomfortable when she realizes the topic of everyone's conversation mainly revolving around her. Lucy hears the doubtful words of some people, but the Rune Knights who journeyed all this way to Era with them shoot the comments down in hushed voices.

''_Oh_?'' The blue-haired man drawls out, as if Jude just told him a bad joke. ''Your daughter is a mage? Or did she beat this poor girl up with a parasol?'' Siegrain inquires, mockery lilting his voice.

The blonde's hands clench into angry fists as the embarrassment she feels at that very moment fuels red color into her pale cheeks.

''Siegrain!'' An elderly woman scolds him, her long nose rising into a disapproving sneer at the man's immature words. The young man simply rolls his shoulders in dismay, scanning the blonde Celestial Mage with an analyzing eye.

She looks just as what he had described her—a proper lady.

Other than the rather large band aid on her covered forehead, that makes her look slightly wilder than she most likely is, she dons an expensive-looking gown filled with frill and lace.

The only thing that screams _warrior_—or at least _Mage_—from her general appearance is the bright fire burning in her glare, directed right towards him.

Lucy rises to her feet then, unable to contain her temper any longer. She thought that she'd be nervous if she had to talk with the magical authorities of her country. She thought she'd be able to act like a polite heir of the Heartfilia Konzern, just like her father wanted her to. She thought she'd never get her ego bruised on such proportions as all these skilled and experienced Mages laughed at the rather sexist joke of a man who didn't even know what she was capable of.

Clearly, she'd thought wrong this whole entire time.

''I _am_ a Mage,'' Lucy verifies, pushing out her voice to make it sound stronger than it actually was, ''A Celestial Mage, at that," she pulls out the heavy key ring she keeps hidden in the sleeve of her dress. She smirks slightly as some of the Mages sitting on the podium marveled at the amount of keys she possessed at the moment. The different metals glint in the artificial light as Angel sneers at her hatefully before turning her gaze somewhere else as to not get electrocuted by a guard again.

''And, really,_ a parasol_?'' The blonde questions as a smirk stretches across her face, ''I'd much rather prefer a whip." As the words left her mouth, Siegrain's blue eyebrows shoot up for a moment or two, his red tattoo stretching a bit as Ultear chuckles besides him.

Ah, that would explain the whip marks adorning Sorano's body quite noticeably.

A few of the Rune Knights wolf-whistle at her words before coughing up awkwardly when Reiji, a councilman who wore shaded glasses, steadies them with an intense glare. Jude Heartfilia looks slightly appalled by his daughter's inappropriate choice of words. He is about to comment, until a voice cuts him off before he could even utter a single syllable.

''8 golden keys, huh..'' Crawford Seam mumbles in his slightly booming voice, gathering everyone's attention, ''That's quite a lot. I do not recall the last time that a single Celestial mage had so many of them in their possession.'' He finally bites out, pinning the young Mage with a pointed stare, as if that is supposed to imply something.

She catches a few knowing, yet exaggerated eye rolls from the lower level podium, but chooses not to comment on it.

''We are getting strained from the task at hand." The bearded man gestures to the Oracion Seis' member, before turning his head back at the remaining Heartfilia family members. ''I'd be pleased to be graced by both of your presences after the trial.''

And with that, the commotion that both daughter and father had caused died down.

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_**A**_nd just as she predicted it, the guards tightened the restrains on the white-haired woman, before dragging her down to the exit most—likely leading to one of their more secure cells. Lucy kind of feels bad as Angel's screeches resound from the staircases she is being led down to, but tries to brush it off.

She doesn't deserve her pity or anything akin to it after she tried to steal her spirits away from her.

The court room clears out little by little as the majority of the Rune Knights follow the wails of their new prisoner. The Magic Council, too, walks out almost one by one, some giving her and her father curious looks while some brushes them off like they aren't worth their time.

Lucy stares back at the tiny man who stays behind, recognizing him as the one who was talking to Ultear and Siegrain prior to the trial. She looks rather surprised when he starts walking towards them. She gives him a slightly awkward wave as he comes to stand before them. The man's eyebrows practically shielded his eyes, and Lucy starts to wonder if he can even see her small greeting or not.

''Jude and Lucy Heartfilia,'' he greets them with a curt nod, ''My name is Yajima, I'm the 6th seat of the Magic Council,'' he introduced himself. Lucy could hear the warmth in his voice, and her previously polite smile turns into something more similar to a grin.

''Yajima-san, nice to meet you! Is there something you need?'' The blonde asks curiously, leaning down slightly to get a better look at the man. Her father's stiff posture never seems to relax the whole time, yet he still manages a polite bow to the older of them two.

''As a matter of fact, I do," he starts, folding his tiny, wrinkled hands behind the small of his back, ''Our Chairman had some errands to run so he told me to make this proposition to you on his behalf." He explains as he turned his gaze—Lucy still isn't sure if he can actually see or not—to the empty second level of the podium. The two blondes follow his trail of sight before Jude clears his throat lightly.

''A proposition you say?'' The Stellar Mage looks down for a fraction of seconds, already all too familiar with that particular tone of voice. Yajima nods yet again as he glances up at them both.

''At this point of time, I'm lacking an assistant who would help me out. I'm afraid these frail wrist are going to crack if I continue to do all this paperwork by myself." To make his point across, he rubs his limbs soothingly while keeping his eyes on the young Heartfilia heiress. ''Between you and me, our Chairman has a good eye for talent, and Lucy-san seemed to have caught his attention.''

The blonde swallows, already figuring out what he is about to say next.

''So, he proposes that you would become my assistant here in the Magic Council." The little man finishes, staring expectantly at the blonde Celestial Mage.

Lucy's mind whirls at the images of her doing paperwork day in and day out, making an unnoticeable shudder run past her spine.

She has a feeling that Seam wants her just for her keys, but that's how it goes here, right? Only the most special and/or talented people get picked up to join the council. And, assistant? She has no experience and doesn't know the magical protocol, just the basic rules she – and every other wizard of the light – is wary to break. Something really doesn't add up.

''N-''

''Of course she'd love to!'' The blonde's head whips to the side as she stares, shell-shocked, at her father's gleeful face.

She knows that glint in his dark eyes.

He is selling her out.

She couldn't believe her ears.

After the span of a few days, her hope in their little family was starting to build up again. Yet with those few single words, that hope shattered like glass.

Of course he'd agree to it. This is almost as beneficial as marriage to him.

Lucy Heartfilia, the Magic Council member.

Who'd dare mess with Jude now that his little daughter is at the top of the magical community's food chain?

She should have known this would happen.

Her eyes brim with unshed tears as her thoughts keep racing through her head.

She doesn't even notice that the small man is still waiting for her agreement to the offer.

And you know what?

She'll take it.

For the past few years, the prospect of running away seemed more appealing as each passing day flew by.

Her rich heiress status wouldn't take her that far in here—and that is more than alright with her. She'd be her own person – no longer Lucy ''_Lucky_'' Heartfilia – _just_ Lucy. Somehow, the drop of those last two titles make the invisible weight on her shoulders vanish into thin air.

She feels free, in a sense.

The most free she'll ever be.

''I'd love to,'' the blonde says, plastering a tight-lipped smile on her face. Yajima notices the girl's hesitance, but decides not to comment further as he leads the two into the spacious hallway.

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	3. Mercury III

**A/N: **_Thank you everyone for your kind words and patience! I wanted to post this chapter as soon as possible, but certain circumstances led me to delay this story greatly – my computer not working anymore is one of the more prominent obstacles.I apologize beforehand that this chapter is short compared to the others, but from this point, the plot truly begins to develop._

**fantabulous:** _haha, she really should! Yes, in time, I'm planning to develop more of her physical abilities in combat as the story progresses._

**Violet in Wonderland: **_Sorano was actually on a solo mission, per se, to collect more celestial keys for herself. Actually, I was planning to use Caleum in this story! I find it odd that more fanfictions don't feature this particular spirit - a shame, really - considering the potential it has. Haha, yes! A parasol! The one that ladies used to carry around in the Victorian era. Yes, a secretary for the time being, but I have a little plan in mind to where Lucy's career is heading.._

_I didn't expect to get such wonderful feedback for this story, if I were to be honest. All of your support drove me into continuing this, and I hope I'll have the resolve to finish this story to the end!_

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_**/As•trum/**_

**Noun – Latin**

_a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun._

**Mercury**

_Intellect; Communication; Understanding_

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'**I'd love to.**'

In what trance had she been in when she uttered those words to Yajima?

She is not cut out for this job, not one bit.

Lucy isn't qualified to be an assistant for the life of her—the only reason for her being here is because she managed to obtain a certain number of keys, and the Chairman didn't want her slipping out of his grasp.

Still, it was rather stupid of him to place her in such a dutiful position without prior training.

Already two weeks have passed since she started helping out the tiny, elderly man, and the hovering fact above her head never fails to remind her that _one_ clumsy mismatch could potentially cause severe problems to both parties of Council and civilian Mage alike.

Lucy has never been under such suffocating stress before in her life.

Several copies of the magical protocol rest under her armpit, weighing her down a few notches. She is tired and exhausted and strained—more so than she has ever been in her life. Never had she imagined that this rather small community, in comparison, had that many rules.

Of course, being a Mage herself, she knows quite a handful of them, but the expertise required for this sort of job is overwhelming. According to Yajima, she couldn't start working on her more serious work – her work consisting mostly of paperwork and errands – before she memorizes most of the laws set by the Council.

Which leads her to her current predicament

She sneezes, if notfor the hundredth time today. The dark blue symbol of the Magic Council stitched across the white material of her standard uniform jacket stretches as her small hand comes to cover her nose and mouth alike. She rubs her nose tentatively, feeling the light swell of her cheeks from the allergic reaction the bouquet of flowers in her other hand has caused. She looks down at the lovely arrangement of colorful pollen in her grasp, smiling softly at the note attached to the stems.

'_**THANKS FOR THE DELICIOUS DINNER YAJI-CHAN – **__**HINA**_'

It is so heartwarmingly endearing that a man of such a respectable age could find romance.

If only the gracious arrangement of flowers didn't make her head hurt.

She traverses the hallway, observing the flawlessly painted white walls that don't seem to know what peeling paint is. The interior of the Headquarters puts her own home to shame due to the uncountable lacrimas encrusted into the building that gave the whole place a magical lilt.

By the time Lucy rounds the corner to the private study areas, a damp handkerchief rests in her enclosed fist. She sneezes into her palm again, before a voice calls out to her from one of the opened studies.

"Come here." Lucy turns her head to the side, peering through the gap between the door and the wall, her curiously clear and glowing.

She hears the scribbling of a pen brushing across rough paper, accompanied by the sound of light skimming of pages. Her eyes blink sluggishly, her form shifts into the spacious room, and Lucy mouth parts in wonder. The large shelves of books momentarily catch her rapt attention, before a loud exhale makes her turn her head.

She sees the blue-haired man from before, and she realizes that this is the first time she has run into him during her stay here. His rather long legs are placed on the desk's surface as he examines the paperwork in his hands, an utterly disinterested expression painting his tattooed face; it was like he has been staring at drying paint for several hours.

He motions for her to come closer with his fingers, as if she is some kind of unintelligent animal.

Which she presumes is exactly what he thinks of her.

Lucy's jaw clenches, and her grip on the stems becomes a little too tight.

Nevertheless, she complies, coming towards his desk until the tips of her toes meet polished wood. Wordlessly, he places his paperwork atop of a stay stack of books, pauses, and finally gives her the time of day.

Lucy pushes down the urge to scoff as she imagines just what a _lovely_ pictures she paints for him; her nose is running, face blotchy, bags heavy under her eyes, and a bouquet of flowers gripped tightly in hand.

She must look divine, for his eyes shine with unmasked amusement.

"Daisies don't seem to be working for you. I would suggest getting a thornless cactus instead—it would match your dull personality considerably."

_And I would offer to stick that cactus right up your—_

Lucy bites her cheek to refrain from any indecent comment flying out of her mouth because, at the end of the day, this is still Siegrain Fernandes she is talking to.

"Thank you for your lovely and unwanted suggestion, Siegrain-sama. I'll be sure to send you a bouquet of Monkshood flowers**[1] **to express my appreciation." She grits out, a forced smile decorating her face, and, as an afterthought, she adds. "It would match your rotting soul nicely."

It is meant to come out as a soft, quiet mutter; one that Lucy hopes doesn't catch in the Councilman's ear.

It does.

The corners of his mouth pull up into a faux, charming smile. "Is that a threat I hear, Heartfilia?"

She bites her lip as her hand unconsciously finds the belt circling her waist, where the handful of shimmering keys rattle ever so slightly. She turns to leave, refusing to let another word slip past her sealed lips.

"You forgot the papers!" Siegrain calls out, baiting the pile of complaints – all, unsurprisingly, due to the Fairy Tail guild – as the blonde Celestial Mage pauses in mid-step.

She senses this is the start of a not-so-beautiful, insult-filled acquaintanceship.

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_**H**_er presumptions prove to be correct the following week.

Wiping the slight snot from her nose with the back of her sleeve in sheer disgust and aggravation, Lucy pushes open the heavy iron door to the airy Council meeting room **[2]**. Her brown eyes drink in the fancy interior while her partially clogged nose picks up the fruity scent of the feast stacked upon the rounded table, which is occupied by the magical authorities.

It was scary the first time—to enter the prestigious space in which the fate of so many was, is, and will be decided.

To say that Lucy is utterly _underwhelmed_ would be an understatement.

She thrives to find out what sorcery the Council members use to complete all of their paperwork so quickly because, as far as the Celestial Mage is aware, she is the only assistant present.

Ever.

She walks up to the tiny old man peering behind thick greying eyebrow, noting the subtle shake that his right hand makes when it reaches out to grasp one of the fruits.

Yajima is clearly catching up to his age little by little—the slight squint the muscles around his eyes make every so often indicates as much. As Lucy continues to watch him, the ache in her wrist and the lose of her sleep suddenly feel worth it when Yajima shoots her a sincere, gentle smile, his hand taking the finished papers from her loose hold.

He looks thankful and tired and pleasantly surprised, and Lucy returns the gesture with a sleepy smile of her own.

"Ah, Lucy-chan," Yajima greets with a nod of his head as he skims through the stack of documents. "I trust you're getting yourself adapted to this position?"

"Yes, sir," Lucy confirms, stepping down from the rounded table that's filled with mindless chatter rather than important discussions like the blonde thought it would be. "I've grown quite accustomed to it." Lucy quietly fiddles with the hem of her uniform jacket, mulling over her reply.

Has she already gotten used to this fast-paced occupation?

She admittedly did.

Does she enjoy it?

That question would have received a flat out _no_.

She thought that being inside the walls of Fiore's Magic center would be fascinating, adventurous, _fun. _

Instead, she was left greatly dissatisfied.

She does the same thing everyday: gets up, drinks coffee, does paperwork, takes a curt break, does more paperwork, runs errands, eats dinner, finishes up her day's due of paperwork, and, _finally_, goes to sleep.

Lucy feels as if her life was becoming quite robotic from the monotonous tasks that were starting to etch themselves into her brain. Even in the Heartfilia household, where she felt most caged and trapped and suffocated, she at least had the time to converse with her spirits. And now?

Now, she doesn't have the time for that anymore either.

Her life is becoming blurred and, even if she hates to admit it—_dull._

Her tired gaze drags up from the basket of strawberries that had her mouth collecting saliva to the indifferent form of Siegrain Fernandes before it slowly narrowed into a slit.

She is becoming dull, just like he said she was.

Her keys heat up, and Lucy's hand shoots down to caress the metals that seem to share her displeasure.

As if sensing eyes on him, the bluenette turns to the Heartfilia heiress with a pleased smile stretched across his face.

It is the way he smiles, Lucy concludes.

The way he smiles seems so... f_ake. _Strange, and rather creepy in a sense.

He looks like a pumpkin in late October that had its thick skin carved in by a kitchen knife. A totally artificial smile that never failed to send shivers down Lucy's spine. The longer she stares at him, the weaker her resolve becomes.

She wants out.

Or, well, in a different position at least.

Preferably far, _far_ away from the tattooed-faced Councilman.

But something prevents her from speaking up to Yajima and pleading for him to demote her to the kitchen's or something of the like.

That particular smile – Siegrain's smile – that morphs into an expectant smirk shows her that he knows. He knows that she is slightly unnerved by him—a lot, actually, if she is to be honest. That raised lip indicates that he _knows_ she is about to give up, just to get a breather from him and his kin. Flashes of their not-so-pleasant encounters run through her mind's eye, and she realizes that he is trying to provoke a reaction from her.

For what purpose, she does not know.

"Is something wrong?" Siegrain drawls out, placing his cheek inside his opened palm. Ultear looks mildly amused by her companion's antics, hiding a smirk of her own behind the sleeve of her dress as Lucy struggles to form words.

_Of course there was something wrong._

"Sorry that I made you feel concerned," Lucy manages out as she traces her keys absent-mindedly, "I seem to have caught something yesterday," the blonde states as she purposely rubs at her nose in an attempt to make the male turn his head away in disgust by her unladylike actions.

Yet all that he does in response is lean into his cushioned seat further.

"And here I was—starting to worry that you might let a small thing like a cold stop you," he tells her as he writes down his signature on one of the many papers laid before him. Lucy purses her lips, catching up to the double meaning of his words.

'_I thought you got cold feet and ran away like the coward I think you are.'_

"I'm slightly offended that you doubt me so much, Siegrain-sama," Lucy admits with a faux, sad smile.

She wonders why he targets her every chance he gets.

Even at the trial, when he knew next to nothing about her, he embarrassed and humiliated her.

That had stung, it really had.

But now—even _now!—_when he _did_ know more than he needed to, he comes after her with a flurry of insults aimed her way.

Lucy's best guess is that he is testing her. The reason behind it she, too, does not know, but a vein is beginning to throb in her forehead, and Lucy realizes that it is caused by the seethe she feels because of it.

She wants to reach out and smack his face for his downright rudeness, yet the only thing she does is lean over the table to enter his direct eye-line. "And it's not a cold, it's an allergic reaction," she clarifies before she goes to gather the stack of papers Yajima has just finished signing over the course of her small-talk with the younger Councilman.

"Have a good day," The Celestial Mage bids farewell, leveling Siegrain with a pointed look as she mutters, tone hard and determined and subtle: "_I'll be back tomorrow _with the report, Yajima-sama."

And on that note, Lucy Heartfilia turns on her heel and exits the huge room.

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**_A_** male's chuckle resounds across the shadow-filled throne room.

Jellal Fernandes smirks, delighted, as he rises from his place, stepping onto the damp flooring.

His mind is reeling, eyes flickering, trying to separate the different visions clouding his sight. Thoughts and feelings rage inside of him; it is as if he is seeing and hearing and living two separate lives at once.

He traverses the room in four quick strides, stopping toe-to-wood next to a table. The small window lets the evening's sunbeams shine down upon the wooden surface, illuminating the various pieces of glinting ivory scattered across a game's board.

The game he is playing wouldn't make an ounce of sense to a by-stander.

Yet to him...

Jellal places a figurine behind a King's piece in thought before stationing it in front of the other piece after a pause.

"I do wonder—how much will you help me achieve my dream."

Deciding to simply leave the gold-rimmed key figurine to stand in front of his own, he cages the table with his body, as if nobody else is allowed to see the inside of his plan, _his mind_. His hazel eyes observe the rest of the board at hand.

He already anticipates a few key players joining the game he was hosting, a sly gleam lighting his face. He walks around the table, placed in the middle of the room, before reclining back upon his throne with a hollow expression on his face.

He can see it.

The sway of golden hair retreating from his alter-ego with artificial confidence in her stride. A smirk curls on his face as he watches her walk away with a stack of papers clutched in her small hands.

He notices it; the shake of her shoulders, the slight misstep she makes.

Jellal decides, without much thought, that she is quite plain—naïve even.

Which was _perfect_.

He can see through Siegrain's eyes, see his partner-in-crime hide a tiny smirk pulling at her red-smeared lips. But, most importantly, he could see _him_.

Him.

Yajima.

Oh, how much trouble an old geezer like him could cause Jellal and Ultear alike.

Out of all of the Council members, only the old coot suspects that something isn't right with the near perfect picture he has painted.

A respectable, powerful, charming young man, who climbed to great ranks faster than Fairy Tail destroyed that unfortunate port a mouth ago or so.

The others admire him, _adore_ him, even. He easily talks his way out of situations and draws people into the web of lies he has weaved without a single slip up on his part.

Yet Yajima still looks more intensely at him and his right-hand man—_woman_—with something akin to doubt and worry. It is like he has known that something was not right about them from the get go.

Jellal's jaw sets in, his fist clenching and unclenching above the surface of the armrest. If he wants his lifelong plan to succeed, he is going to need the trust of every single one of the rest of the Council members.

Which he has, mind you.

All except one.

He'll admit, he has starting to rethink several different tactics, options. But then suddenly, a silver lining appeared in front of him.

Jellal spares a hollow smile.

Or, should he say, a _golden _lining.

It truly is perfect.

The blonde is Yajima's only reason for staying for several more months or, Gods forbid, _years_. Soon enough, the Celestial mage would have absolute power over the old man, achieved through her kindness and softness and compassion. With the old coot's full trust, she could help Jellal succeed with flying colors.

All he needs to do now is gain her own trust and, by the looks of it, a kind gesture or two will be enough to gain the brat's full-out faith.

''Lucy Heartifilia, you truly are perfect," he mutters under his breath as he turns his head to stare at the newest addition to his board.

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**A/N: **

**[1] **_If you didn't understand that scene – and I don't blame you tbvh – Monkshood flowers are highly poisonous, so Lucy flat-out implied that she wanted to poison Jellal, or well, _Siegrain_._

** [2] **_The Council meeting room is the same as in the manga with actual chairs and tables, because the anime version of them – the council members, that is – floating on magic circles didn't appeal to me as much._


	4. Moon IV

**A/N: **_Thank you everyone for your support!_

**OnLyMinO**_: Thank you so, __**so **__much, hun! To clear up any confusion; Lucy has 8 golden and 5 silver keys. As of now, she possesses the silver keys of Crux, Horologium, Lyra, Pyxis and, since recently—Caleum. Since birth, Lucy has Aquarius, Taurus, Cancer – Capricorn too, but it's too early for him to come into the picture – gate keys. In this AU, I made Jude __**slightly **__more caring for his daughter from the get go. So, in this version, he has gifted Lucy with Virgo's key, which he had bought and/or traded from Everlue. Lucy received the keys to Scorpio, Aries, Gemini, and Leo by defeating Angel. In this version, the cause of Karen's demise wasn't from her magic's overdose but, rather, from poisoning. Due to this, Loki is not responsible directly, or in his case – indirectly – for the death of his previous owner. Hope that clears some things up!_

**Cloudie**_: Thank you for taking the time of day to review this story! Haha, yes, a beta is a very good suggestion, considering English isn't my native language. I hope that my grammatical errors don't turn off readers all that much. I have planned plenty of interactions between Lucy and her spirits, so you can look forward to that! Lucy is a tough cookie to crack – even in canon – so Jellal is in for some nasty and aggravating surprises along the way, I can assure you. ;) _

**Kyogre**_: Thank you __**very**__ much! Powerful and strong-willed Lucy is a religious experience—well, if it happens gradually and not overnight. I was a little stuck as to how the two would interact with one another, but Jellal's behavior prior to Tower of Heaven seemed to answer it for me, lol. Haha, you'll just have to wait and see!_

**Violet in Wonderland**_: Merry Holidays to you as well, sweetie! More like creepy tension! Yikes, guess I'll have to go back and fix some errors. It's good to have knowledge of things that are deadly to us, so I don't find anything weird about that. That's our Jello cake—imagine him playing monopoly instead of chess in his current, brain-washed state. __**Shudders**__. Jellal doesn't understand the complexity of Lucy; he thinks she's just some pampered little girl living off her father's fortune. He doesn't see her as a threat. Yet. Yeah, the anime version looked hellishly rad, but I couldn't figure out that room's functions, so I just went with the plain ol' circle table. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!_

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_**/As•trum/**_

**Noun – Latin**

_a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun._

**Moon**

_Emotion; Mystery; Intuition_

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_**L**_ucy pulls the soft, white material of her uniform's skirt over her ankles, stretches out, and relishes in the satisfying popping of her stiff limbs. Placing one leg on top of the other, she leans back into the soft leather of her very own armchair. Her father – oh, so generously – had installed an office, just for his heiress, inside the walls of the ever prestige Magic Council's Headquarters. The room, even the tapestry, is a nearly exact replica of the bedroom she had been caged in for most of her life.

A not so subtle remainder to her – and anyone concerned – as to who she is.

Lucy doesn't know if she should feel nostalgic or depressed but, nevertheless, she feels safe and comfortable in her familiar haven, filled with re-read books and worn out collectibles.

The chest, containing certain letters, included.

The blonde isn't required to run back and forth between Yajima's office and her own living quarters anymore; which is a true relief for her untrained muscles and the armpits of her shirts in this heat stroke. Sure, she still runs errands and has stacks of paperwork under her arm, but it wasn't as hectic as before.

Or maybe she just got used to the horrendous pace that the government of magic ran.

Either way, she is content for now.

Barely.

The keys attached to her belt tingle in contrast with her good mood, making Lucy bite the inside of her cheek.

Just for how long has she not summoned any of her friends?

She knows how eager they were to help her out, or just to spend some quality time with her—even Aquarius. Her daily schedule doesn't really leave her much room for such a luxury; which, min you, she is determined to change as soon as she is able.

She misses her friends.

Even the ones she had conversed with only once or twice.

They were hers—in every aspect except the universal one.

She is their acquaintance, companion, _friend_—she is willing to die for them if needed, and vice versa.

In her opinion, that's how it should be—the ideal relationship between owner and spirit.

Sighing, she directs her attention to the complaints laid down on the polished, cherry wood table, with the standard symbol of the Magic Council embarked on either sides. The delicate smile turns downwards at the amount of writing her already sore hand has yet to do.

Pushing a stray lock of golden hair behind her ear, she gets to work.

Every word she drinks up, every angry stroke a person has made in their complaint while writing seems to revolve around a certain reoccurrence that never failed to spike up her interest.

_Fairy Tail._

"Stolen underwear…" Lucy mumbles to herself as she scribbles down the specified complaints onto an empty sheet of paper, "…assault for a harmless comment… sending drinking tabs to the Council…flirting with Council Member Reiji's granddaughter aga—" Lucy slams down the pen she held between her fingers in defeat.

_What was wrong with this guild?!_

She recalls several mentions of the guild dashed across multiple magazines she had managed to smuggle in during her youth, cutting out clips and articles that had mentioned several powerful mages that she aspired to be like.

The '_Salamander'_. '_Beast-arm_' Elfman.

Especially Erza '_Titania'_ Scarlet.

She never imagined a female to be such a powerhouse Mage until she stumbled upon her not-so-appreciated achievements of destruction.

It had made her jaw drop then.

But now, her pretty little jaw needs to be oiled to perfection because the Magic Council, she noticed, reacts quite _delicately_ when it came to the name Fairy Tail.

And she will also do the same in order to preserve herself in this position.

Whether she likes it or not.

_Still._

A knock rings across the room as someone raps their knuckles across the wood of her door.

Lucy scrambles to recollect the previously tossed pen in her hand, trying to look the part of a professional secretary, who is indulged in her work like her life depended on it. She clears her voice, schooling her features into a prim and proper façade like any good heiress should, before calling out a curt '_come in_'.

Her shoulders slump slightly when a greenish head of a servant peeks through the crack of the door. However, Lucy eyebrows slowly raise when the object in the humanoid's outstretched hand comes into her line of sight.

"Miss Heartfilia, _uh_, this…"

She grips the pen with more strength than necessary.

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"_**Y**__ou… _You find this hilarious, don't you?"

Yet the only response she received is the rustle of paper.

She hovers over his form, but the tree leaves have already shielded him from the afternoon's sunlight. He doesn't look at her; he doesn't even spare a glance. She twitches, the crease in her frown deepening in annoyance at his childish antics.

The Councilman ever so slowly places a bookmark between the opened pages before snapping the book shut, placing it on the coffee table next to him. Lucy cranes her neck, catching a glimpse of the title of the book stitched into the worn out spine.

"_**CHARMS". **_

He certainly lacks them. Maybe she should send him some self-improvement books as a repay for his own gift.

Lucy's upper teeth graze the skin of her lower lip.

Speaking of which.

Siegrain raises a cup of tea to his slightly chapped lips, enjoying the look of indignation etched across the blonde's face. He takes his time; taking a long slurp of the lukewarm liquid, wording out the unspoken response in his mind with delicate care. Placing the porcelain cup back on the table's surface, the minty scent that previously clogged his nose is replaced by the clearly expensive perfume that the Celestial Mage wears. His brows crease from the strong scent, but he does not to comment.

Instead, he turns his body slightly to face her, draping one of his legs over the other.

"Whatever are you referring to, Heartfilia-san?" He questions, raising his chin up at the seething blonde.

"_This,_" Lucy hisses out, shoving the plant into his tattooed face. Siegrain slowly raises a single brow in response.

"I was under the impression that you were capable of recognizing the simplest of plants. I guess you have proven me wrong once again."

"I know that it's a cactus," —_you dumbass—"_What I meant to ask is—Why?"

"Why, what?"

He is playing dumb, they both know it.

"A cactus!" Lucy raises her voice, yet each syllable looses its volume when she notices the prying eyes and ears of the workers scurrying around the makeshift park.

"Oh, _that_," Siegrain stands up, towering easily over her with his superior height. He places both of his hands on her white-clad shoulders, making Lucy lean backwards a bit from the loss of personal space, "for your information, cactuses symbolize endurance," he starts off, the mocking undertone as clear as that day's sky.

The muscle under Lucy's right eye twitches.

Since when was horticulture in her job description?

Clearly, Siegrain Fernandes is in the wrong business.

"—passed our test."

"Huh?" The blonde blinks slowly, having turned a deaf ear on his rambling words. The tips of his fingers dig into her shoulder blades in a short moment of overwhelming irk, but a false, half-hearted smile reaches his lips as he emphasizes every single letter of his repeating words.

"_You passed our little test_."

"Test?" She asks, voice meek and confused and dumbfounded. She cradles the small, spike-covered plant in one hand, brushing her bangs to the side in response to the blowing wind. Siegrain eyes the humanoid workers passing through for a moment before looking down at her once more.

"Really, Heartfilia? One might assume you're rather dimwitted," He teases lightly, releasing his hold on her aching shoulders. As his hands leave her person, she rubs the sore spots with her free hand, a confused look on her delicate face.

"What sort of test? And who's apart of this '_our'_?" The Celestial Mage spits out question after question whilst failing to notice the amused glint in the depths of Siegrain's eyes.

"Ultear and I," He cocks his head in the direction of the tall building, which housed the important individuals of the Council. After a brief pause, he continues, "Thought it would be a good idea to check if our newest employees worked well under pressure," he explains further, "It was a social experiment, really. And you seemed to have passed it with flying colors—even though you weren't aware you were participating in the first place."

His hands find hers, or rather—the pot filled with soils and the cactus he has gifted her this morning. He carefully caresses the spines of the plant she clings onto like a lifeline for comfort.

"The way I treated you—" His usually deep voice lightens up a few notches as Siegrain stares into her chocolate doe eyes. "—was very wrong, I'll admit. You deserved none of that, considering your predicament. I know it will take some time to accept my apology for our more than rough start, but at least keep the cactus—it will always remind you that you can achieve anything you put your mind to."

Lucy blinks once.

Twice.

She nods dumbly, trying to process the complete change in the Councilman's demeanor over the span of a minute.

He is close, _too_ close for what is usually appropriate. The vague smell of mint enters her senses, and the sudden urge to succumb to his charm—which made its debut on that very day—is quite overwhelming.

But she knows better.

_Far_ better.

His eyes.

They speak the unspoken words that will never leave his mouth.

The insincerely, the thrill of the kill.

That unnatural empty glint is all too clear in this proximity in those hazel hues.

He is close.

_Too_ close.

And for that, his venomous words do not reach her heart.

She knows men like that better than anyone. The ones who use their sleek little tongues to charm their way into her fortune like a serpent.

She has been dealing with the likes of those ever since she was a child. Even her own father is a golden archetype of a deceitful, gain-driven person. It came to no surprise that the likes of such people were infested inside the walls of the Magic Council. The power that comes with this position could drown a fish in water, after all.

But some things do not add up.

The stitched, blueish circle on his left breast indicate that he has power already—and not only the political kind.

He is probably well-off anyway, being one of the Council Members and all.

So where does she fit in all this?

She is an heiress, yes. But the gut feeling she always relies on tells her that money or lands is not something he desires from her.

Power and influence? He has far more than she'll ever have.

Her keys? No, that isn't right either.

He wants something out of her, she is sure of it.

The only question is—_what?_

Several other probabilities pops into her pondering brain, but the telltale look of lust is missing as well. It is frustrating, it really is. He is an enigma—a puzzle she isn't even sure she wants to solve.

But the almost complete lack of _anything_ in the windows of his soul speak otherwise.

He is hollow—like a turtle's shell. The only difference is; nobody is home inside.

She stares at him, ignoring the fact that she might look like a total creep. The longer she looks, the more goosebumps her skin develops under her uniform.

He is flawless—in a physical way. There isn't a blemish in sight, and the clashing colors of his hair and the unexplainable tattoo seem to blend perfectly together. His physique, Lucy decides, fighting off the warmth in her cheeks, is apparently good too, if his contours are anything to go by.

But the point is—he is hollow inside; it is apparent.

His face is expressive, annoyingly so. He could feign any sort of emotion, ranging from happiness to sadness.

But his eyes—they are as expressive as a rotting corpse.

_He is like a doll_, she concludes. A porcelain one. Those are the ones that creep her out the most.

Just like he does.

But the fingertip brushing across her thumb is not made from porcelain, nor does it resembled the smoothness of a shell. In fact, his skin feels soft, just like hers—albeit a bit rougher.

"I…" Lucy clears her throat, noting that he was just as deep in thought as she had been, "Accept. The cactus that is." Her voice does not waver no quiver, and for that she is thankful.

The bluenet untangles himself from her; instead, he crosses his arms over his chest, leaning on the nearby wall with his signature, ever so infuriating smirk plastered on his face. But this time, his posture is civil—warm, even.

She cracks a smile for him.

Not a half-assed, half-hearted one. No—Lucy curls her lips in a way she knows will make her face look tender and friendly and _genuine_.

He nods his head at her acceptance, his smirk morphing into a small twitch of a smile that makes his tattoo stretch slightly. Lucy, under his heavy scrutiny, tries to stop the twitch of her eyebrows, but finds that she simply can't.

It's like a small spot on her face— virtually unnoticeable but, once you squint and see it, you can't help but stray your attention to it just because you know it's there.

And Lucy knows that there is something not quite right with Siegrain Fernandes, and she's reminded of it every time she notices those hollow eyes of his.

"Well then, good day to you, Siegrain-sama," Lucy manages out over her shoulder as she rotates her body away from him.

Unbeknownst to her, something in his eyes _does_ spark to life at that moment.

After all, he always notices the little details himself.

"Have a lovely afternoon as well, Lucy-san!" He calls out after her, enjoying the sudden tension in her shoulders at the use of her first name.

He continues to watch her like a hawk before she disappears out of his line of vision, and when he is sure that she's gone for good, he releases a laugh laced with disbelief;a splutter that's an echo of the sound his real form makes from miles away.

He has truly underestimated the Celestial Mage's observation skills.

For a second, he had stumbled.

Stumbled from the searing look she had cast him.

It was as if she had stood before him—the _real_ him—inside the walls of the Tower of Heaven.

It makes adrenaline course through his veins.

It had seemed as if at that moment, she could've found out everything there is to him, and Siegrain—_Jellal_—had felt _threatened_.

Threatened that his plan was in ruins before he even took his first move.

Threatened that she already knows the truth about him.

Threatened that there's a possibility that, currently, his true intentions are being revealed and Rune Knights will soon flock the small patch of grass to lock him away.

_But no_.

It was just an illusion.

She knows _nothing_.

But she still suspects _something_.

And that is more than enough to make him feel exposed—v_ulnerable._

_Of a silly girl!_

He collects the scattered tomes laying across the coffee table, leaving the leftovers of his afternoon snack for the servants to take care of. He walks over to the indoor entrance, his steps unusually unstable.

When his hazel eyes find his balled-up hand, then—and _only_ then—does he notice it is shaking; the already pale knuckles are white as the snow sheeting the mountain tops of Era.

And at that moment, Jellal Fernandes realizes that Lucy Heartfilia isn't going to be an easy target as he originally presumed.

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